The amount of hand-Held devices and personal data accessories, such as cellular phones, PDA and etc. has dramatically increased during the last two decades. Multiple vendors across the globe invest increasing amounts of research and development efforts to provide highly sophisticated, highly complex cellular phones. The data processing power, Graphical User Interface (GUI) capabilities and computational power of cellular phones dramatically increased during the last decade, as well as the amount of various applications that are supported by modem cellular phones.
Modem cellular phones are adapted to support multimedia applications, data related applications, as well as various games. There are various manners to download software that is later executed by the cellular phone. There are various operating systems that are supported by cellular phones (Such as: Symbian, Linux, BREW, REX, RTX, PALM, PPC2003 and etc.). By utilizing cross-operating system software tools, such as the JAVA™. software suit, applications can be developed almost regardless of the operation systems.
Cellular phone vendors have also dramatically decreased the power consumption of their cellular phones, while increasing the efficiency of cellular phone batteries, thus allowing cellular phones to operate for prolonged periods, before recharging the cellular phone battery. Nevertheless, cellular phones are periodically recharged.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art cellular phone 100 that includes a power connector 50 (also referred to as battery connector) for enabling an external device to charge the battery of the cellular phone, an antenna connector 52 (for connecting the cellular phone to an external antenna, such as a car mounted antenna), as well as an additional connector 56 (also referred to as system connector) for connecting the cellular phone to external devices such as audio amplifiers, hands free kit, external memory devices, communication link (RS232,USB and etc.), special data communication link, and the like. The connectors 50,52 and 56 could be combined in one or two connectors. Other prior art cellular phones, such as some Nokia™. cellular phones, include a system connector and a battery connector. U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,842 of Winstead titled “Dual function connector for cellular phones”, which is incorporated herein by reference, provides a complex dual function connector that includes multiple contacts and slots.
FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art cellular phone 100. Cellular phone 100 includes an internal or external antenna 2, RF module 4, base-band processor 6, processor 8, display 10, microphone 12, speakerphone 14, loud speakers 16, analog voice and audio mixer 18, earphones 19, digital to analog converter (DAC) 20, memory module 22, integrated camera 24, USB interface 26, external memory interface 28 and keypad and joystick module 40, Optional Wireless link interface (such as: Bluetooth, WLAN, UWB (Ultra Wide Band) or other wireless link).
The internal antenna 2 can be bypassed by an external antenna 102 that is connected to cellular phone 120 via an antenna connector 54. The power supply 108 is connected on one hand to power connector 50 for recharging battery 21 and is also connected to system connector 56 to provide power from the battery 21.
Cellular phone 100 is capable of: (i) receiving RF signals from antenna 2 or external antenna 102, and vice verse; (ii) receiving audio signals from microphone 12 or an external microphone that may be a part of a hands-free/car-kit assembly; (iii) providing audio signals to loud speakers 16 or to external loud speakers; (iv) receiving information signals such as data and/or video signals from an internal camera 24, or external devices such as an external camera a computer or other cellular phone. Serial Interface, Data link interface or USB interface 26 and external memory interface 28 may receive signals via system connector 56.
Antenna 2 or external antenna 102 receives and transmits Radio Frequency (RF) signals that are provided by or received from Radio Frequency (RF) module 4. RF module 4 is connected between antenna 2 and base-band processor 6 and is able to convert RF signals to base-band signals and vice versa. Base-band processor 6, display 10 and keypad and joystick module 40, as well as integrated camera 24, USB interface 26, external memory interface 28 and digital to analog converter (DAC) 20 are controlled by and connected to processor 8 that may execute various applications. Processor 8 is controlled by a software package that may include an operating system as well as many application software, including Java engines. The software package, as well as various information are stored at memory module 22 that may include RAM as well as ROM memory cells. Memory module 22 is connected to DAC 20 and processor 8. The software package includes at least one software that is related to the transmission of information between the cellular phone and a remote station. This software is also referred to as communication related software.
Cellular phone 100 is able to receive, process and generate audio signals, by DAC 20 and base-band processor 6 that are connected to analog voice and audio mixer 18 that in turn is connected to speakerphone 14, loud speakers 16 and earphones 19. Base-band processor 6 is further connected to microphone 12. Keypad and joystick module 40 includes a multi-way Joystick and multiple keys and soft keys, positioned below display 10.
Cellular phone 100 also includes a short-range module 5, illustrated as being connected to base-band processor 6, for short-range wireless transmission and reception of information. This short-range wireless transmission and reception can be according to various standards, including the Bluetooth, WLAN, ZigB, Wi-Fi, WLAN, UWB and other standards. It is noted that module 5 can be connected to other components of the cellular phone 100. U.S. patent application 2004/0027244 of Menard, titled “Personal medical device communication system and method”, which is incorporated herein by reference, provides a description of some prior art short-range and long-range transmission methods that are known in the art.
The following U.S. patent applications, that are incorporated herein by reference, describe cellular phones that are capable of applying short-range transmission: U.S. patent application 20030114106 of Miyatsu et al., titled “Mobile internet solution using Java application combined with local wireless interface”; U.S. patent application 2003/0045235 of Mooney et al., titled “Smart bluetooth interface gateway to mate a non-bluetooth wireless device with a bluetooth headset”; and U.S. patent application 20030235186 of Park titled “Internet cordless phone”.
U.S. patent application 20030114106 of Miyatsu et al. describes a telecommunications system and method for downloading application software to a local communications network via an external communications network. The local communications network comprises a plurality of devices including an interface device. The interface device includes an interface for interfacing with the external communications network for downloading an application software from an application software source to the interface device via the external communications network. The local communications network preferably comprises a local wireless network, such as a Bluetooth and wireless networks, and the external communications network preferably comprises a mobile communications network for downloading application software to a mobile phone of the local wireless network.
A cellular phone that does not include a short-range transceiver, such as a bluetooth transceiver can be connected to an adapter or other means that facilitates short-range communication with the phone. U.S. patent application 2003/0045235 of Mooney et al. describes a smart bluetooth interface gateway device that allows a bluetooth headset to establish an audio connection and communicate with a conventional wireless phone (e.g., a wireless phone that does not have bluetooth installed). The connection is controlled merely by monitoring the presence of sound and tones in the audio stream from an analog audio jack of a conventional wireless phone. The smart bluetooth interface gateway device is attached to the wireless phone just as a wired headset would. Use of the wireless phone is the same as if a wired headset were plugged in.
Various methods and devices for monitoring the health of a person are known in the art. They include special hardware for gathering and processing physiological data and a wireless device utilizes for transmitting the gathered information. The special hardware is much less sophisticated and less efficient as the hardware of cellular phones. The development of dedicated hardware is usually costly.
The following U.S. patents and patent applications, which are incorporated herein by reference, provide a brief review of state of the art systems and devices: U.S. patent application 2004/0027244 of Menard, titled “Personal medical device communication system and method”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,238 of Kirk, et al., titled “Health support system”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,676 of Rosenfeldt et al., titled “Pressure data acquisition device for a patient monitoring system”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,586 of Heinonen et al., titled “Method for monitoring the health of a patient”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,840,020 of Heinonen et al., titled “monitoring method and a monitoring equipment” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,193 of Heinonen et al., titled “patient's nursing apparatus and nursing system”.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,871 titled “Personal ambulatory cellular health monitor for mobile patient” of Geva, which incorporated herein by reference describes an ambulatory patient monitoring apparatus including a portable housing including at least one physiological data input device operative to gather physiological data of the patient, location determination circuitry operative to determine geographic location information of the patient, cellular telephone communications circuitry for communicating the physiological data and the geographic location information to a central health monitoring station, voice communications circuitry. The patient conducts voice communications with a clinician at the central health monitoring station, digital signal processing circuitry for processing signals associated with any of the physiological data input device, the location determination circuitry, the cellular telephone communications circuitry, and the voice communications circuitry, and control circuitry for controlling any of the digital signal processing circuitry, the physiological data input device, the location determination circuitry, the cellular telephone communications circuitry, and the voice communications circuitry.
There is a need to provide an efficient method for health monitoring as well as an efficient personal health monitor.